Peanut Free Kale, Apple & Walnut Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Massaged kale salads have a way of converting even the most skeptical greens-avoiders, and this one earns its place at the center of the table. Working the salt into the kale by hand is the real secret — it breaks down the tough fibers so every bite is tender and deeply flavored rather than chewy and bitter. The lemon tahini dressing comes together in minutes, with fresh garlic, a touch of honey, and a pinch of turmeric giving it a bright, nutty complexity that clings beautifully to the leaves. Crisp apple slices, chewy dried cranberries, and crunchy pumpkin seeds round out the textures, making each forkful genuinely interesting. For anyone navigating peanut allergies, this salad is a natural fit — the richness here comes entirely from tahini and walnuts, with no peanut-derived ingredients anywhere in the bowl. It's the kind of dish that looks impressive enough for a dinner party but is honestly simple enough to throw together on a weeknight.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 1 large bunch curly or lacinato kale (about 8 oz), stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry-roasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (unsweetened or lightly sweetened with fruit juice)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2–3 tbsp water, to thin
Instructions
- 1
Place the torn kale in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the sea salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale firmly for 1–2 minutes until the leaves darken, soften noticeably, and reduce in volume by about half.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, grated garlic, turmeric, and black pepper until smooth. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until the dressing is pourable and coats the back of a spoon.
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